Currency change in India

On 8th November 2016 8:00 PM prime minister of India Narender Modi announced that old 500 rupee and 1000 rupee notes will be discontinued in 4 hours. I checked my wallet and found out that I had one hundred rupee note, a fifty rupee note and five 10 rupee note. So only 200 rupee with me. The banks and ATMs were shutdown for next day 9th November 2016 so I need to survive on 200 rupee only. Although patrol pumps, Hospitals and Medical Shops were allowed to accept 500 and 1000 rupee notes till 11th November 2016.

Luckily Mar car had enough patrol for next few days not everyone have a car to commute. Many people travel by auto and taxis for them 200 rupee will not be sufficient even for a day. This step of government was necessary for curbing black money and counterfeit notes so I thought that it is right step even if it create some inconvenience to people. Banks opened on 10th October 2016 but ATMs were closed. Banks were exchanging up to rupee 4000 per person. I asked my wife to go to bank and get the money exchanged but she could not go to bank due to heavy rush in the bank. I still thought that banks and government are doing their best to serve people and at least some people are getting money. But later I came to know that banks are giving two 2000 rupee notes for 4000 rupee. A 2000 rupee note is too big a denomination to bring liquidity into market. 500 rupee notes are already out of market and for converting a 2000 rupee note to change 20 hundred rupee notes will be required. If a person buy 200 rupee products from market he will get 18 hundred rupee notes in return. Shopkeeper will not be having that much change. So 2000 rupee notes are bringing no liquidity to market.

For first few days government should issue only 100 rupee notes and new 500 rupee notes in market to restore liquidity into market but it is doing opposite of it. This is wrong and government should have planned better. It is issuing 2000 rupee notes into market. 2000 rupee notes should be issued later on when government raises withdrawal limit on bank accounts. Some people are saying that great economists have taken this decision and I don't understand economics so I should not criticize decision of great economists. But I feel that these economist who feel that 2000 rupee note with curb black money and 500 rupee note will encourage  corruption are fools. Economics is not rocket science which only few people know and kept a top secret. Economics is something which everyone understand. Issuing 2000 rupee note for first few days is a bad decision and it is producing liquidity crunch in market.

Now few thing on how I am surviving with 200 rupee. I borrowed 600 rupee from my son's piggy bank. One of our neighboring shopkeeper is still accepting 500 rupee note and we are buying milk from him. This might be illegal but it is necessary for maintaining liquidity in market. I support government's decision to change the currency note but government should infuse liquidity in market by issuing 100 rupee and 500 rupee notes instead of 2000 rupee note.  

Suicide by ex-army man and OROP row

Retired Army man Ram Kishan Grewal committed suicide on November 2, 2016 because he was getting less pension. 

The 70-year-old ex-serviceman was involved in a protest for implementation of the promised OROP scheme. He was leading a protest and reportedly reached Delhi on Monday to meet the defence minister with an application stating that despite the implementation of the OROP, the soldiers have not received the increased pension as per the sixth and seventh pay commission along with the due arrears.

He committed suicide by ingesting “Sulfas”, a pesticide, while he and 10 others were returning to Jantar Mantar on Tuesday after failing to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and defence minister Manohar Parrikar over the non-implementation of OROP. He died later that day at RML Hospital.

Grewal was working for social welfare and had won several accolades for his contribution to social service and for changing the face of his village ‘Bamla’ in Haryana. He was also awarded the ‘Nirmal Gram Puruskar’ by the then President, Pratibha Patil, in 2008.

Bamla village became the first few ‘Nirmal Grams’ in Haryana. The government of India had launched this award for fully sanitised and open defecation-free Gram Panchayats in 2003 and gave away the first awards in 2005 as a component of its flagship scheme ‘Total Sanitation Campaign’.

It is difficult to believe that such a man will commit suicide without fighting for his rights. His suicide shows that he lost all hopes for getting his dues. Government is coming up with excuses that it was calculation error on part of State Bank of India. But why did it happen? Why was error not corrected even after repeated requests from ex-serviceman? Why was bribe demanded from ex-serviceman for correcting calculation error? Why did ministers of Modi government refused to meet ex-serviceman? Why have government not taken any action against officials responsible for calculation mistake? These are some questions which needs to be answered. Why should we not hold prime minister responsible for this calculation mistake which took life of an ex-serviceman when we give credit of any street being cleaned by sweepers? We don't say that street was cleaned by sweepers and PM have nothing to do with it, we say that PM has put all procedures in place to force sweepers to do their duty instead. Now if PM has not put any check on corrupt officials of government and State Bank of India and allowed them to get bribe from ex-servicemen by doing deliberate calculation mistakes and correcting them only after getting bribe then why should he not be held responsible for it. 

Terror attacks and call for boycott of films by Pakistani actors

Now a days debate is going on issue of call to boycott of Karan Johar's movie "Ye dil hai muskil" featuring a Pakistani actor. Some people  are saying that cultural exchange with Pakistan should not stop because of terror attack on Army camp in Uri, Kashmir. Same people were saying that India should wage a war with Pakistan when some tax payers were killed in terror attack on Taj Hotel in Mumbai. Are soldier's life less valuable than life of a tax payer's life?

We Indian's need to learn from USA in terms of respect for life of a soldier. USA people consider soldiers life more valuable than tax paying citizens. They don't let artistic freedom come in the way of their patriotism. I was in USA when second war of USA with Iraq started. One famous singer of USA commented against the President and people all radio channels stopped playing her songs, people stopped buying her CDs and she was forced to apologize to people of USA for her comments.

We Indian people don't care for our brave brothers who are fighting for our protection. We think that since we are paying them salary it is their duty to die for us and we don't have any duty towards our soldiers. This mentality must change. Soldiers don't die for salary but for honor of mother land and for protection of us and we shameless creature can't even afford to miss a movie produced by our enemy.

It is not a coincidence that Karan Johar picked a Pakistani Actor for his movie. The Pakistani actor was chosen because Dawood Ibrahim put a precondition for financing Karan Johar's movie that he should take Pakistani Actor for his movie. People ask me how do I know that and I should file a case against Karan Johar if I think it is true. I would like to say that I know that more than 80% of policemen are corrupt and they take bribe from Auto driver, road side vendors etc. and I have still not filed even a single case against any of the policeman. Does it prove that all policemen are honest, just because I have not filed a case against them? Same way if I have not filed a case against Karan Johar it does not prove that his movie is not being financed by Dawood Ibrahim. You can see the movie script and make out who is financing the movie. If Indian people boycott the movie "Ye dil hai muskil" it will be a big blow to Dawood Ibrahim and his agents like Karan Johar. I will not watch any movie of Pakistani Actor even if it is a master piece. 

India takes revenge of killing of 17 soldiers

Today India carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan occupied Kashmir to destroy terror camps in reaction to killing of 17 Indian  soldiers by Pakistani terrorists. Pakistan has denied this news and is saying that there had been a case of cross border firing only. This is expected from Pakistan because they can't admit that they were running terror camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

I fully trust Indian Army's press conference in which they said that they carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. I am proud of my Army and Government today. I am even ready for a war between India and Pakistan if tension escalates further. I am ready to pay 5% extra tax to finance cost of war. A nation can survive only if citizens are ready to make sacrifice for the nation. A nation where citizens are interested only in there selfish need can't survive. Indian public should raise above there selfish need and support our soldiers. Soldier's life is a precious as life of a income tax payer's life. How can we let soldier's die and protect the tax payers? Why should we be afraid of paying extra tax if war brake out when we try to revenge killing of 17 soldiers? Why can't we pay extra tax when we expect soldiers to give there life in protecting us?

My decision not to send my children to Christian school

Today I am writing about my decision not to send my children to any Christian school. I took this decision despite fact that fee in Christian schools are lower than other private school. I did never apply to any Christian school for admission. I have two children one boy who is studying in class 4 and a girl who will start going in Nursery class from April 1st next year.

Reasons for this decision:  I took this decision based on examples of discrimination against Hindu student and misinformation given about Hindu religion in these schools. I am listing few of these examples here:

1. Hindu gods are not capable of helping their devotees but Jesus is: I heard from one of my colleague whose niece  was going to Don Bosco school Delhi that one day school bus broke down on the road and the driver of the bus asked children to pray to their God to fix the bus. Children were asked to pray to Bhagwan Ram but the bus did not start. Children were asked to pray to Wahe Guru but the bus did not start. After that they were asked to pray to Jesus to fix the bus and the bus started after that. Impressionable mind of children got an impression that Hindu gods are incapable of helping them but Jesus is capable of helping them. These kind of stories I have heard from many people and sometimes these are even published in newspapers also. I can't close my eyes and hope that these kind of things will not happen to my child if I send my child to these schools.
2. Misinformation about Hindu religion: Somerville School Noida few years back staged a play on Ramayan  in which Bagwan Ram, Sita and Lakshman was depicted as characterless and Ravana was as good character person. People objected to it when they came to know about it from their children and even a FIR was registered in this case and this news was published in newspapers. This school is still running under same principal and no action is taken against people who staged the play.
3. Misinformation about Hindu Religion St. Xavier School: When I was in my collage one of my classmate from St. Xavier School told me that in Vedas it is written that incest is recommended for good citizen. I was shocked and amazed that Vedas are in curriculum of a christian school and not in my government school. I inquired about in which classes Vedas are being taught in St. Xavier School. He told me that this information was given to him by his English teacher and Vedas were not in their curriculum. How come nothing about Vedas were being taught in the school but this kind of misinformation which will cause hatred for Hindu religion was being taught in the school.
4. Children are taught things which are not suitable for their age: One of my classmate from a christian school told me that they shown video of how abortion are carried out and how unborn baby is killed and taken out from womb of the mother. Does it help in stopping abortion to show in gory detail how abortion are carried out? If they want to campaign against  abortion they can just say that killing a unborn baby is equal to killing any other human. Why this gory details were being shown to children.
5. Christian schools are center of corruption: Christian school fees are lower than other schools and it is projected that these schools don't make money but education is being subsidized by donation of christian charity organization and that is why 50% seats are reserved for christian children. It is not true, One of my colleague went to Somerville School Noida and he was asked to pay 50,000 rupee to a Christian Charity to get his daughter admitted to school. This is nothing but corruption they are forcing parent to pay bribe to Christian Charity to get admission for their children. The amount paid by Hindu parents to this charity will come back to school as Christian Benevolence. These schools are running on Hindu money and working against Hindu religion. Fee in these schools are low because these schools are getting subsidized land and other aid from government. On the other hand schools run by Hindu organisation don't get any subsidy or aid.
6. It is not as if there is no discrimination with poor christian: The schools which are forcing Hindu parents to donate money to Christian Charity are also forcing christian parents to donate money to Christian Charity. One of the christian student who was denied admission in St. Stephen College under quota for christian filed a case in court because he was denied admission on the bases that he was not member of a particular Christian society which charges annual subscription fee. Any poor christian who can't afford to be member of these societies don't get admission. St. Stephen Collage gets crores in grant from collage and still discriminates against majority who pay taxes for the grant received by this collage.

I am OK if I do need to spend few thousand extra on education of my children and I am also OK if they get 5% less marks in their 12th class exam. But I am not OK with my children's mind being polluted by these Anti-Hindu schools. 

Surge pricing of app based cab companies

Today's post is regarding surge pricing of app based cab companies UBER and OLA. The app based companies increase their prices a demand increases. Today I was discussing with some of my friends that cab drivers at Airport and Railway station charge 600 rupee for a ride which should have been 350 rupee this is nothing but blackmailing. When I asked them about surge pricing of app based cab companies they said that it is demand and supply economics and customer had option of going to another alternative if he/she does not agree with surge pricing. I don't see any difference between surge pricing and taxi drivers asking for extra money at Airport and Railway Stations. It is also surge because of demand and supply economics. Why should it be called blackmailing if some small group of taxi drivers do it and demand and supply economics if a 1000 crore company do it?

I do know of a case when a passenger paid 5000 rupee for a ride to Airport in UBER cab at the time of even and odd scheme in Delhi, the surge was 20 times at that time. I heard about this on FM radio channel, I don't know why other people don't remember it. Had it been a normal taxi driver everyone would have been talking about ending this blackmailing of taxi divers but since it was a 1000 crore company it is being called free market economics. Why?

As far as I am concerned I think that there should be a control on free market so that service provider don't exploit consumer by overcharging. So there should be a maximum price for any product offered to consumer. Free market is about getting more consumer by offering cheaper products and making profit by providing service to more consumers and not by blackmailing customer and selling product at exorbitantly high price and making more profit by that.  

A nun who wanted to quit a Kerala church, now faces criminal cases, branded mentally unstable

Why is media silent about malpractices which are continuing in Churches? I do see them highlighting any small thing about Hinduism and about churches they are always silent even on big issues. I see same problem with my Hindu friends, they are always critical about Hindu religion and India but if someone says anything bad about Christianity or USA they start fighting with him. Why do we see only bad things about over selves and only good things about others?  

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http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/nun-who-wanted-quit-kerala-church-now-faces-criminal-cases-branded-mentally-unstable-47810

A nun who wanted to quit a Kerala church, now faces criminal cases, branded mentally unstable

"I forgave them and tolerated everything till now. I cannot take it any further,” Sr Mary Sebastian says.

Megha Varier| Monday, August 8, 2016 - 12:24

The Church preaches charity, kindness, and compassion towards everyone but Sr. Mary Sebastian, a 45-year-old nun, is afraid that the very institution that she has served for 25 years might harm her.

Sr. Mary wants to leave the Church and it is a well-known fact that the Church does not take too kindly to rebels.

In January this year, Sr. Mary took the decision to quit the Church because of the harassment that she allegedly faced in the hands of her superiors at the Syro-Malabar Church’s Cherthungal Nasrathubhavan Convent under Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC) in Pala, Kottayam district of Kerala. She has been living there for the past three years.

Sr. Mary approached the Church to grant her 3 years of exclaustration that allows a nun to stay outside the convent as a common citizen and return to the convent after the designated period.

However, she was denied permission as the Church feared that granting her this would encourage other nuns to follow suit.

When the Church deliberately delayed the proceedings, Sr. Mary approached the Kerala Catholic Church Reformation Movement, an organization that works for rehabilitation of ex-priests and ex-nuns. Matters went haywire after the organization intervened.

In May, she was given dispensation and was asked to quit the Church. Having decided that it is best to do so, Sr. Mary demanded that she be paid her due in order for her to lead a life outside the church. The authorities objected.

Renji Njellani, organizing secretary of KCRM, points out that any priest or nun who wishes to quit the Church is entitled to be given money according to the canon law. The Church refused to pay the sum of Rs.30 lakh that Sr. Mary demanded and offered to pay Rs.1 lakh, after months of negotiation.

Two weeks ago, Sr. Mary filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission and Women’s Commission alleging that she was facing physical and mental harassment at the hands of her superiors. But after she approached Women’s Commission, the Church, she alleges, has found new ways of taunting her.

They even filed a police complaint recently, accusing her of theft. She says that police officials threatened her to quit the Church as per their order. 

Last week, a complaint was filed with Child Welfare Committee accusing her of harassing the children at Balabhavan, a children’s home associated with the convent. Sr. Mary claims that the authorities of the committee forcefully made her sign a document pledging that she will stay away from the children.

Renji points out that the Church in fact uses the committee to its own advantage, with priests appointed in key positions.

“I am scared for my life…They are so powerful that they may even harm me!” - these were her first words as Sr. Mary spoke to The News Minute over phone.

Sr. Mary claims that false allegations have been levelled against her ever since she joined the Church.

In 1997 when she was a student of Master of Social Work, her superiors at the convent had accused her of being in a relationship with a priest.

“Nobody asked for any explanation from my side…I wasn’t given a chance to prove the allegations wrong, or at the least defend myself. They accused me of wrongdoing and I was forcefully sent for retreat camps where I wasn’t allowed to speak to anybody. I used to spend the days cut off from the outside world,” she says.

But things became worse when in the early 2000s, Sr. Mary objected to a misappropriation at Shanthinilayam, a special school in Pala run by the Church. 

“When I found that they were forging documents to include nuns in the teachers’ list to claim university grants, I objected. I discussed the issue with other nuns and the superiors came to know about it. Since then, they have constantly been trying to tag me as a mentally challenged person,” she says.

She also alleges that she was repeatedly transferred from one convent to the other, at the behest of the Church, often in the middle of an academic year.

Sr. Mary, who works as a teacher at a school run by the Church, says that she was brutally assaulted by her superiors at the various convents she has lived over the years.

“They would hit me, accusing me of various things, including robbery. They hid letters addressed to me. I forgave them and tolerated everything till now. I cannot take it any further,” she says.

The Church involved her family in all these matters too and would demand that they visit to sort things out.

Sr. Mary’s decision to leave the Church citing harassment is not a unique instance. Only a few years ago, Sister Jesme, who had been a nun for over 33 years, quit the Church alleging harassment by her superiors. Her leaving and the subsequent release of her autobiography "Amen: The autobiography of a nun" had created a huge controversy at that time. Sr. Abhaya’s murder, in which priests are the prime accused, is yet another example of how things are not exactly holy in the Church.

Once she leaves the convent, Sr. Mary cannot go back home.

"Do you know what it means to be a nun who quit the Order? Our society hasn't grown enough to accept such things. People will see it as my betrayal towards Jesus. But only if they knew that my fight is against the Church and not Jesus...." 

She says that her family does not want her to return home. "In fact they don't want me to quit the Church. It is all because of the stigma that is associated with it. Society will only target my family for my actions."

Dismissing the allegations of harassment at the hands of superiors, spokesman for Syro-Malabar order of the Catholic Church, Dr Paul Thelakkat states that the Church does not stop anybody from quitting.

Saying that he is unaware of the case in detail, Dr. Thelakkat claims that the canon law does not prescribe the Church to pay compensation to those who quit.

“As far as I understand, there is only one problem here. If the nun wants to quit, it is up to her to decide. But she cannot hold the Church responsible to provide rehabilitation. When a nun joins the Church, she voluntarily does so, agreeing that she will not hold any property under her name. Then how can she now stake claim in the Church’s joint property?” he asks.

Instances where the Church does provide monetary help to those who quit are purely out of ‘humanitarian concerns’, he maintains, adding that the nunnery is a service and not a means to earn money.